Currently, there are more than 70 million active gym members in North America alone. Many others may be interested in improving their health or fitness, but are not sufficiently motivated to become active. Often, people start a new fitness regime but become disheartened when they don't see immediate results. As a result, some of these people may give up on a fitness regime and return to an inactive lifestyle.
Often, the only tangible feedback people get about their fitness level comes from changes in body weight, or if accessible, body fat measurements. While these indicators may provide some quantitative feedback on fitness level, these measures often cannot account for differences in individual demographic and lifestyle information.
Furthermore, these indicators are strongly tied to appearance. The media bombards us with images and videos of celebrities and athletes who look amazing, but is it reasonable or realistic to ask a working mother or father with children to invest the time and energy needed to look this way? These benchmarks are often unattainable for the average person, and can negatively impact self-esteem. As a consequence, these indicators may prove de-motivational to people who are only beginning to become active or who are trying to increase their frequency or level of activity.
A tool that is able to fairly analyze and compare individual efforts and activity results across varied spectrums of demographics, lifestyles and fitness regimes may provide meaningful feedback and motivation for normal people interested in improving their health and fitness. As well, such a tool may be useful for fitness enthusiasts who are interested in learning how their current results may change if they adjust their lifestyle or fitness regime.